The Parlour

Number one gelato in Durham! The cookies and cream flavor in a waffle cone is the best. They also have a wide variety of flavors including Vietnamese coffee and vegan options too. I usually go for the cranberry pear sorbet when I want something tart! There are a few tables to sit and chat.

The most PERFECT ice cream shop experience! My friends and I stopped by and were immediately greeted with warm hospitality. All the staff were phenomenal! Aloe was super friendly, knowledgeable, and full of passion for the shop’s story. They shared some really cool history about the place and gave us fantastic recommendations on the house-made flavors. Every scoop we tried was delicious and bursting with unique and well-balanced flavor. We’ll definitely be back for more!

First time and from out of town stumbled on this ice cream shop and must say one of the best hot fudge sundaes I’ve had in long time. Got the vanilla/ cookies n cream flavor. Hot Fudge was real deal ice cream was air tight dense so good. Tasted like premium top grade cream curious to know if ice cream uses eggs in it.

My favorite ice cream in the Triangle! Unique options that are so flavorful. Their vegan ice cream is also delicious, which is rare!! Great service, too! Any time I am in Durham, I make sure I visit the Parlour.

This shop is a hidden gem! The service was very good and the staff was friendly. The quality of the ice cream is top-notch, creamy, and rich with a fresh homemade taste that really stands out. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, making it a great spot to relax and enjoy a treat. Prices are quite reasonable, especially considering the high quality. My only complaint is the limited selection of flavors. While the options available are delicious, a broader range would really elevate the experience. Still, it’s definitely worth a visit! Thank you guys

What a sweet little shop! The ice cream is rich and delicious. They do, indeed, serve hot coffee and lattes, too. The shakes are decent as well. They also have ample seating available, but I imagine it gets busy in summer. I am so glad that we have stumbled upon this gem.

our recent Parlor visit 10-18-25 went poorly unfortunately: the wait was only a few people deep so that was fine but - 1. they would only make a shake with soft serve ice cream and not with the multitude of flavors on the board, 2. with two of four people in our party served the employee disappeared in a back room. We waited, and waited, made our way to the register where i explain we're not ready to check out yet because 2 of 4 have yet to get ice cream. "He went on break".......what? well we didn't know that and no one took over our group. "OH well any employee over there can help you." ya I understand that but now there's only 1 server helping the line of patrons. "I'm sorry sir but THIS is where you PAY, over THERE is where you GET the ice cream." I paid for 2 of 4 potential ice creams and when the auto-gratuity screen popped up, laughed out loud and advised the lil fella - "you won't mind if I go 'no tip' right? You were presented with a customer service opportunity to shine and you chose not to." Too many other places for ice cream to tolerate that nonsense.

Long line to order so I thought this ice cream parlor would be worth the wait, but I was a bit disappointed. I got the Girl Scout mint cookie and salted butter caramel. Both flavors were incredibly overpowering, as if way too much essence or something artificial was used in both flavors. I absolutely love mint chip, I order it every time I get ice cream, and I love mint flavor, but even this was way too much. It tasted like thin mints with a bunch of peppermint essence mixed in. I could only stomach 2 licks of the salted butter caramel before I threw my whole cone away. I love sweetness and ice cream, but something about those flavors was off putting.

After getting dinner downtown, I decided to visit The Parlour for a sweet pick-me-up. This local ice cream shop offers a delightful range of both classic and seasonal flavors, ensuring there's something to please everyone. Service was quick and friendly, adding to the overall pleasant experience. I was particularly impressed with their commitment to sustainability; instead of the usual plastic testers, they use reusable stainless-steel spoons, which is a small but significant touch in reducing waste. I decided to indulge in a scoop of their banana pudding ice cream, and let me tell you, it was a resounding 10/10. The balance of sweetness was spot-on, and the chunks of wafer cookies integrated throughout the creamy base were a nostalgic, crunchy delight. This place has definitely earned a spot on my must-visit list for dessert, and I'm eager to return and try new seasonal flavors!

Cute coffee shop in the downtown Durham area with some awesome seasonal flavors as well. By that I mean, yes, I was obsessed with their pumpkin cookies and cream because it was the best of both worlds! Additionally, they offer their classic flavors, sundaes, and milkshakes. Everyone is really friendly here. There is plenty of seating inside for you to enjoy your treat but also the option to stroll downtown. I definitely recommend coming here for an ice cream day.

The BEST ice cream, SO flavorful and creamy. I love their peach raspberry but you can't go wrong with any flavor. Service is fairly quick depending on the time you go. There's plenty of indoor seating

We came here after dinner for some ice cream. The line went out the door and it probably took us maybe about ten minutes to order. There were a lot of people here eating so there were not a lot of tables available. We ordered a few things like a single scoop of Cookies N Cream, a single scoop of Lavender Olive Oil Marscapone, and a Shake. The inside was bright and had a relaxed vibe. The Cookies N Cream was good and definitely good for those who always order that at other stores. The Lavender Olive Oil Marscapone was not bad and it wasn't overwhelming to me. I didn't try the Shake. The amount of ice cream for a single scoop was enough for one person and I would recommend either of those flavors. Good ice cream here and definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

Today after lunch, we decided to stop at The Parlour for some dessert. Nice roomy interior with lots of seating for customers. We had a variety of ice cream flavors in a variety of cones: cake, sugar and waffle. We had coconut cream pie, salted caramel, chocolate and vanilla. Very efficient and excellent service.

Great location for this awesome ice cream shop....nice big space inside with lots of seating . Outside there are lots of spots to sit and eat, or walk around. They have a ton of neat flavors, and milkshakes, Affogato, floats, sundaes , cookies, and toppings for your ice cream. You get teenagers serving you so don't expect super friendly service. We all tried different things in our group, I had the Vietnamese coffee in a cup with a sugar cone on top, this was creamy, great coffee flavor, and I had a nice big scoop even for a small. Also the toasted coconut oreo my gluten free friend loved with sone rainbow sprinkles. The strawberry cookie gravel, was an interesting fruity mix with bits of choc chips and cookies crumbs. The salted butter caramel, also nice strong caramel creaminess. Also the Affogato was a nice wake up call with some super good espresso poured over vanilla . Yum. We all loved every sweet drop of this ice cream. I love a local ice cream parlor. I appreciated that it wasn't all that modern, but truly more a parlor!

Really cool ice cream flavors! I was impressed with the variety as well as the dairy free options- there isn't much seating and it does get busy but the line tends to move fast! Would highly recommend the plum lassi flavor

I generally prefer any local business over any chain, and The Parlour is a good local ice cream shop. They have two locations, one downtown and another smaller operation closer to Duke's east campus. My only knock on them is almost any time I've visited, the customer service is odd. Not necessarily unfriendly, but not friendly, either. I've thought it was a one-off experience a few times, but I think any time I've visited I got the sense that I was a bother to whatever employee was behind the counter. Would prefer a little more interaction and warmth, but they do have a good product.

Cute spot in downtown Durham for life cream! Got the brownie sundae with salted caramel. Servers were nice and gave good recommendations. Wish the brownie was a bit softer and warm, but the ice cream was really great!

I returned after what felt like YEARS. They have a case of fancy sodas, for floats. Given that it is summer, I think I will be ordering one the next time I return. Their vietnamese coffee is always lovely, but I got their strawberry. The line tends to be long, but it moves fast enough. Everyone working there is always lovely.

The ice cream we had from The Parlour was terrific. We got single scoops of the Salted Butter Caramel and Caramel Oreo flavors. They had perfect texture and flavor. Ultra smooth and creamy, and delectable. The Parlour's ice cream is handmade. Our single scoops were 3.3 ounces each. They rang up to $4.50 per scoop after tax, before tip. During our visit, there were 17 flavors on the menu, including three vegan flavors and two soft serve flavors. Double scoops were $6.25 and triple scoops were $7.50. Cake and sugar cones came at no additional cost. Waffle cones were $1.00 extra each. There were eight topping choices at $0.50-1.00 each. Along with ice cream, The Parlour serves shakes (eight flavors during our visit), sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and coffee. They also sell pints to-go from a self-serve freezer at the front of the shop ($9.50 each). In a nutshell, this is a simple ice cream shop that does classic flavors really well. Flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, Cookies + Cream, and Maple. Everything we sampled was delicious. The Milk Chocolate Lavender stood out to my wife. The flavors don't get too crazy here. And there's nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to toppings either (e.g., whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, hot fudge). This is a small, independent, local business. It's not a chain like Jeni's. This shop in Downtown Durham was Kickstarted into existence. It opened in April 2013. This is a great place to walk to after having a meal at one of the numerous excellent restaurants nearby, as part of a night out catching a show at The Carolina Theatre or DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center), if you happen to be staying at one of the hotels in the vicinity, etc. If you want to drive here, you can park on the street or in one of several municipal lots/garages close to the shop. I recommend either the Corcoran Street Garage at 110 E Corcoran St or Lot 32 at 111 W Chapel Hill St. As of 2023, rates to park in those locations are $2.25 per hour, enforced Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm, except city holidays. Otherwise, parking is free. Inside, there are two rooms with seating and a water dispenser with paper cups. I guesstimate 25-30 customers can sit comfortably inside. There's also a decent amount of standing room. The Parlour doesn't have outdoor seating, but you can certainly take your ice cream to the brick plaza with public seating across the street (CCB Plaza). We visited on a Sunday night around 8pm. There was a steady stream of customers. The shop was borderline full, but it never felt crowded while we were there. The space was minimally decorated and clean. The staff did a good job. I think some of them were high-schoolers. I connected with our cashier because of his Raw is War T-shirt. He told me his favorite wrestler was Stone Cold and I told him mine was Bret Hart (among others), but I digress. Haha. TL;DR version: I highly recommend The Parlour for outstanding ice cream in Downtown Durham. For ice cream in the city, it should be at the top of your list.

The Parlour is a must visit if you are in Durham. We tried a few samples and it was a scoop of the Vietnamese Coffee for my husband and the Honey Lavender for me. I also tried the Salted Butter Caramel and really liked it. We took our scoops to go but there is seating available inside.

Great ice cream and good flavors. A little larger selection of flavors would be nice but what I had I enjoyed. Located right downtown.

Cones are a bit thin. And the paper sticks to them. The flavors are pretty good and there are lots of options. They let you sample them which I appreciate. Staff members were a little rushed but nice enough. It's a cute shop with a lot of space. Bathrooms are really gross.

We devoured the brownie sundae with a scoop of cookies and cream and a scoop of salted butter caramel ice cream. The brownies were homemade and the salted butter caramel might be my new favorite flavor of ice cream. A must stop in Durham!

For hard dip ice cream it was creamy and good. Would try it again the next time possible.

Creamy and flavorful with something for everyone! Tucked right in the heart of downtown, you can grab a quick cone or bowl, sundae, or ice cream cookie sandwich for a super reasonable price. The Vietnamese coffee and cookies and cream are always my go to. The brownie sundae is made with brownie bites instead of a whole brownie on the bottom, which caught me off guard but actually made it perfect for sharing. Service was fast and there is seating both inside and outside of the shop. Sometimes musicians will play in the square outside making the perfect vibe for a relaxed nighttime ice cream.

The Parlour was cute and very busy. The line was long but went by really fast. Plenty of seating and the service was great. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves ice cream. Next time I'm in Durham I will definitely be coming back.

People say if you're in Durham you definitely have to visit the Parlour once! They seem to be a pretty old school, straightforward ice cream parlor place with a good selection of flavors. I was surprised to see black sesame on the menu and so I definitely had to try it! I loved how it was creamier and the black sesame flavors were stronger than I had expected. I believe their ice cream flavors are all housemade. They have different types of cones (cake, sugar, and waffle). The waffle cone was a little disappointing because it felt more commercial/cold/flavorless instead of home made like other places. Definitely very spacious with lots of seating options!! The ice cream was good but for similar price, I think I prefer other fancier places to this one!

Thank you, Dylan, for being amazing and helping us set up a cooler for the new mom at Duke Hospital whose milk will be graced by some of the best ice cream in the world!!! You -- and The Parlour -- and Durm rock!!!!

Can't think of better ice cream I've had. There's always a line and for good reason. Every time I say I'm only gunna have one scoop, I test taste two flavors and end up getting both. They got classic and unique flavors. This time I got the malt chocolate and honey lavender which ruled. Staff is always friendly. And the interior is cute

The Parlor is a cute, bright, spacious ice cream shop located in the heart of downtown Durham. I tried their ice cream recently for the first time since the pandemic and I was blown away! Their vegan chai was perfectly sweet, creamy, and cinnamony. The employees were all super friendly and although there was a long line to order it moved very quick. I also appreciated that they offer unlimited samples so you can be sure you're picking a flavor you enjoy. They rotate their flavors monthly, and I definitely want to come back to try out some more next month!

This ice cream shop was poppin' on a weeknight! What struck my eye was the Vietnamese coffee flavor. I got a scoop and it was what a Viet coffee in ice cream form would taste like. It was creamy and tasted like a really sweet version of coffee, not that I'm complaining. Prices are average like $4.50 a scoop that was pretty generous. Not sure how much caffeine is in it but I had it at night and I was able to fall asleep fine!

While walking around downtown Durham, I could not resist the temptation of The Parlour. The signage from the street looked pretty, so I walked towards it, not knowing it was an ice cream shop. When I got there and looked through the window, it was packed. I thought to myself, "hmmmm, this must be a pretty good ice cream shop to be this busy!" And so, I walked in. I was greeted by the friendly staff with their big bright smiles. They offered me a few samples, and I was hooked. After trying a few flavors, it decided on the honey lavender. The texture of this ice cream was so smooth and velvety. Surprisingly, it was not too sweet. This was one of top ice cream shops I've visited. I got a single scoop in a sugar cone for $4. It was a big scoop too! I enjoyed my yummy ice cream cone as I walked around the historical downtown Durham, taking in the fresh night air! A walk around downtown is happier with an ice cream cone in your hand! Definitely recommend this place! Southern hospitality at its best!

Downtown Durham ice cream shop packs a cool atmosphere with delicious ice cream. We especially like this place because it allows our allergic child to enjoy all the flavors without fear of consuming any egg products. The employee said all flavors are egg free. We tried the Chai Oreo ice cream and it was a delicious, unique, and surprisingly good flavor! It has hints of mint and chai flavor while also packing in delicious Oreo texture and taste. Have never had a flavor such as this. And look forward to more unique flavors. Well done! Excuse the photo it was already half eaten... that good!

Delicious ice cream at a great price! I met one of the co-owners Vanessa & their friend during my visit. He said they started their ice cream business out of a bus and now they have their very own store! Not only is it an ice cream parlour, it's a BUSY ice cream parlour! It makes me so happy to see small businesses thriving because of their great products. They have a huge variety of ice cream flavors here. They have some classics (chocolate, cookies n cream, etc.) but they also have some more unique flavors like coconut cream pie, banana pudding, etc. My partner and I decided to share a double scoop in a waffle cone ($6.75) and thank goodness we shared because the portion size was huge! We got the vietnamese coffee & salted caramel and they were so tasty and creamy! The coffee wasn't immensely strong, it was just right. If I lived around here, I would come here every night for dessert haha. Great service and delicious ice cream!

Shocking- another 5 star review for parlour. We had to wait in line but they were quick. My bf and I shared the cookies and cream (loved that you could taste the cream in between the individual cookies), salted butter caramel (tasted like werthers) and Vietnamese coffee (perfect). We also got a sugar cone to go with it. The brownies are huge and looked excellent but I had to pass this time. It wasn't very hot out and the ice cream melted faster than expected which I think shows it's fresh and doesn't contain a lot of preservatives

This was my first visit to Parlour and I enjoyed my honey lavender waffle cone. The staff was friendly and allowed me to try some samples and after I tried the honey lavender, I knew that was what I wanted. I just ordered a single scoop but the portion was huge. Besides cups and cones of scooped ice cream you can get soft serve ice cream as well as a milk shake or a sundae. Pre-packaged containers were available to take home and someone was getting an ice cream cake when I was there. The seating area was clean and water and cups were available to drink. If you are in Downtown Durham, Parlour offers some sweet treats.

I recently traveled to Durham for the first time. I didn't have much free time, but I wanted to check out at least one local business... and The Parlour it was! Thanks to Yelpers for leading me here, I was grateful it stayed opened until 10 p.m. Upon entering and seeing the menu, you'll see a few classics but many very creative flavors. And not only are they creative... they're delicious. There was a short line that moved quickly, and then it came time to sample. The staffer who helped me allowed me to try several flavors (all delish) before I settled on two scoops in a bowl: honey lavender AND salted butter caramel. MMM, MMM, MMM. There are some tables and chairs inside, along with a long bench, but I opted to sit on the plaza just across the street, which was great in the nice weather. I would absolutely recommend The Parlour! Enjoy!

The line was long (as expected) and the prices are high (not expected), but such unique combination of flavors! For $12, I got a scoop of Chai Oreo & Honey Lavender. They were delicious and you could really taste the chai and lavender flavors. These flavors and scoops were a delicious combination together! My friend also got the Chocolate Black Sesame Soft Serve & a scoop of Cherry Sorbet. Cherry isn't my thing and the chocolate overpowered the sesame a bit. Depending on the flavor rotation available, I would come again to try. Street parking is available as well as nearby garages.

How eggnoggy is the eggnog shake special? The perfect amount. Delicious. The employees could not have been more kind and made it an overall lovely experience. Also loved the ice cream sandwich! Good vibes.

Finally tried The Parlour after seeing so many positive reviews on Yelp and it was worth it!! They give huge scoops and have pretty good flavors. Here are the flavors I tried in my double scoop ($5.75): Vietnamese Coffee - My favorite flavor!! Will definitely get this again Salted Caramel - Tasted more salty than sweet but still good

This place was hyped by the locals, so we had to try it of course. The servers were super nice and patient as we sampled several flavors before deciding. The reverse cookies and cream is unique. It's chocolate ice cream with vanilla Oreos. It made it on my sugar cone. They were doing a busy business on a rainy Wednesday evening, but the scoopers kept up. In addition to cones and bowls of ice cream, they also had milkshakes on the menu. Complimentary ice water available in the parlor. Seating isn't super comfortable, but seating area is spacious and clean.

Had the toasted coconut Oreo and it was tasty. It was vegan which I've never had before but did appreciate a lighter version of ice cream. Definitely made with coconut milk which made it have a strong coconut taste which I loved. Don't get intimidated by the long line that is usually out the door because the service is great and you are in and out

This is a great place to stop by if you happen to find yourself in Downtown Durham! Not only is it a perfect location! (lots of seating, park right across the street, cool shops nearby etc.) but the ice cream is extremely good! They have such a vast menu and variety of treats to pick from from your simple scoop and cones to cookies and affogatos. The staff there are extremely friendly and sociable and you can tell they love their job. (who wouldn't?) I've heard this place can boast quite the bustle but when we arrived (maybe around 7 or so) it was quiet and had plenty of seating. Overall I think this is some solid ice cream and worth a visit!

Very rich, but very good. But pricey, but worth it. Chocolate and Cookies & Cream shake, tasted somewhat like Chick-fil-a, but a stronger chocolate taste.

Ice cream is great, and I think they have amazing flavors here. I've visited on a few occasions and always enjoyed it until a weird visit recently. Recently, I had a friend in town and we visited the Parlour for an afternoon scoop as I'd talked it up a lot! Unfortunately, we had the weirdest interaction with the staff there. We walked up as the three people working were having a conversation and there weren't any other customers in the shop. No one greeted us, smiled, or said a word to us as we stood there waiting. Through ordering the side conversation carried on which was confusing because I couldn't tell if the person taking my order was talking to me or their coworker and it was just an overall unfriendly interaction. You know when you just feel like someone doesn't want to deal with you? I'm sure it was just a blip in customer service, but it left a bad impression on me.

Hojicha, lavender, and coffee are all super good! Probably just a tiny too sweet for my liking but that's a me problem

A picture is worth a thousand words. Except the photo that I've attached. But if anything it meant that the ice cream was that good. The honey lavender flavor was the best flavor of ice cream I've ever had. That is no exaggeration. Give this place a try if you are in Durham!

Best ice cream in Durham! Highly recommend. Awesome flavours changing often Mango mochi is the best

The one scoop size is dead ass one scoop. It was high quality birthday cake ice cream, but it was $5 for literally one singular scoop. I was more confused than anything else. They didn't even try to squeeze another on top or something. Also the service was speedy. Very quick in and out.

This is the best place for ice cream in North Carolina. We love this place! We go here on the weekends after dinner. If we have friends or family in town The Parlour is a must go to. My top Two are... 1. The Cookies x Cream in a waffle cone. 2. Banana Pudding in a waffle cone. They also have vegan options too.

I am SO THRILLED I discovered The Parlour right as summer was beginning! Now I know where to go when I want to cool off. I can't remember having more well-executed flavors than I did here. I would normally not order salted caramel - it always ends up tasting kind of artificial-butterscotch to me - but the bite I stole was absolute perfection. And while the chai shake was pumpkin-pie-spice-y, it tasted like an ACTUAL pumpkin pie, not a Starbucks-style fake one. My order, the jasmine yuzu, was as though someone simply added some flowers and citrus juice to a light cream and then whipped it up and froze it. It was barely even sweet. Like jasmine tea with yuzu juice and milk, but cold and refreshing. Also, I can't believe inflation has gotten to the point where I am saying $3.75 for a single scoop is a good deal, but sadly, it has, and it is.

The parlor has great ice cream. We came here on a Saturday night and the line was pretty long but it was worth the wait. The vanilla was average. But the salted butter caramel was awesome ! The peach was good too.

I can see why there's so much hype around The Parlour! When I went recently, they were still closed inside due to COVID, but they have a window where they take your order, and then another window where you wait to receive it. There seems to be a pretty consistent line here because it's such a popular spot, but it moves fairly quickly. I got a scoop of the vanilla bean lime buttermilk flavor and it was sooo creamy and delicious. A perfect balance of sweet and tart as well! I loved the taste of the buttermilk in the ice cream. Definitely recommend checking out The Parlour if you're in Durham!

A staple of the area. The staff is always very friendly and the interior is nicely decorated with plenty of space and seating. The ice cream is flavorful, creamy, and has great texture, though I will say that there have been times where the more seasonal/temporary flavors haven't been amazing. Additional perk is the merch is solid. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area and want some good ice cream, though be aware that lines do get fairly long in the summer.

Lots of space - wait staff was friendly and courtesy and helpful. Many choices of ice creams. Definitely had the homemade taste ice cream. It was a great way to cool off. Ambaince was as an ice cream parlor

Great place to grab some ice cream after dinner or an event in downtown. Excellent ice cream, good selection but not an overwhelming menu at all. The help is courteous and friendly. There is plenty of seating inside with lots of natural light through the large picture windows. My wife and I frequent this place after Bulls games, especially because they offer many Non-Dairy flavors on a regular basis...you gotta try the Meyer Lemon Pie...quite yummy

They have a very socially distant operation as of this writing. They'll only take orders online, you have to call them when you get there, and they put it on a table only if you're not there, and then will let you come and get it. They're definitely being very careful, and no one knows exactly how careful to be, so I'm simply describing it as it is. I actually didn't get any ice cream per se, I got the soft serve (which was vegan), a hot chocolate, and a cupcake. While the peppermint swirl soft serve I got was vegan, the hot fudge I paid for on top was not, but it was amazing. The soft serve itself though was creamy and delicious as well; not clear on whether it's coconut or something else but very good as non-dairy desserts go. The hot chocolate I got was also vegan, and with a strong and slightly bitter chocolate flavor. So was the black forest cupcake I got, which delivered a strong dose of both the promised dark chocolate and cherry flavors. It's a great dessert place, and certainly one of the leaders I've seen for dairy-free stuff. I didn't try their ice cream because the flavors in these other desserts were more to my taste, but I would definitely return for it.